European Economic and Social Committee INTRODUCTION The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is organising a workshop that will allow secondary school children from the 28 EU Member States to see how the EESC decision-making process works in relation to a specific subject. The event will take part in two stages: 1. registration, selection and preparation in class, 2. the participation in the workshop in Brussels. The instructions for each stage are given below. Registration and selection of schools Schools wishing to take part must register online through the EESC's internet site before 12 January 2015 (midday, Brussels time). After registration has closed, the schools to take part in the workshop will be chosen by lot. The selected schools will themselves choose three students in their pre-final year of secondary education (aged 16 years) to represent them, as well as a teacher who will accompany them. These people must all be able to express themselves in English. The event will take place in Brussels at the headquarters of the European Economic and Social Committee from 23 to 25 April 2015. The EESC will pay the travel and accommodation expenses of the students and accompanying teacher in accordance with the conditions set out below. All the key information about the workshops will be published on the EESC's internet site. The teachers involved are therefore asked to check the site regularly. EN
2 PREPARATORY PHASE The preparatory phase comprises registration, selection of schools by lot, selection of students by participating schools and preparation for the workshops in each school. 1. Registration 1.1 Conditions for participating To take part, a school must: be located in an EU Member State; be recognised by the education authorities in one or more Member States; have a computer (that can open and print PDF files), with internet access and email; undertake to choose one teacher and three students in their pre-final year of secondary education ( 16 years) who can express themselves in English; undertake to consider and discuss the topics of the workshops in class before coming to Brussels; undertake to host one EESC member for an information session on the EU and the Committee indicatively between mid-february to mid-march (travel and accommodation expenses of the EESC member to be paid by the Committee). Other classes from the same school and/or other schools may be invited to this meeting with the EESC member. It would be useful for the school to have had some experience with international exchange programmes (EU-funded or other), but this is not a condition for taking part. 1.2 Registration process Schools wishing to take part must complete the online registration form. Before registration, the school must designate the accompanying teacher, who will be the only contact person for the EESC if the school is selected during the phase of preparation for the workshop. The head teacher of the school must confirm this choice in the relevant section of the online registration form. The school must enter on the registration form its full name and address, the name and contact details of the head teacher and accompanying teacher, and an email address to which all correspondence with the accompanying teacher can be sent. Email must be checked regularly, since the schools will be contacted mainly by email. N.B.: Only one registration form per school will be accepted. Schools that apply more than once will automatically be excluded. Registration will remain open until 12 January 2015 (midday, Brussels time).
3 1.3 What do schools commit themselves to by registering? Each school that registers accepts the general conditions of the draw, preparation and workshops: 1. Valid registration by the deadline guarantees only that the school can take part in the draw; it does not guarantee a place in the workshops. 2. The schools selected by lot undertake: a) to choose and register three students able to speak and understand English, who will take part in the workshops in Brussels, accompanied by a teacher; b) to invite one EESC member for an information session; c) to consider and discuss a document proposed by the EESC, make amendments to it and send it to the EESC within the required deadline; d) to share the results of their work during the workshops in Brussels by taking an active part in the session; e) to agree to their name and pictures of the EESC member's visit to the school being used for EESC publications and posted on the EESC website and related social networks. N.B.: If not otherwise specified by the school, this authorisation covers all the people, buildings and objects shown on the pictures; f) to provide any press cuttings relating to the visit of an EESC member in their school or relating to the participation of the school in the event; g) to inform the organisers at the EESC promptly of any change (e.g. in the accompanying teacher, email address). 1.4 What happens if the school does not meet its commitments? Any failure to meet these conditions will result in the school and its students being immediately excluded from the simulation exercise. 2. Selection of schools The schools will be selected by lot in January 2015 from the schools that have applied by the deadline. The names will be drawn in the presence of the EESC's vice-president, who will ensure that the draw is conducted in accordance with the rules. 2.1 List of selected schools One school will be selected for each Member State. The chosen schools will be informed individually by e-mail, and their names posted on the EESC website at the end of January 2015.
4 2.2 Reserve list Two additional schools per Member State will be selected by lot and inscribed in a reserve list in January 2015. The chosen schools will be informed individually by e-mail, and their names posted on the EESC website end January. A member of the Committee may visit these schools during the school-year 2014-2015. The member will provide information about the EESC and how it works. The EESC will pay the member's travel and accommodation expenses. As regards the workshops in Brussels, the second school will be able to participate only if the first school withdraws its application or does not meet its commitments. The third school will be able to participate only if both the first and the second school withdraw their application or do not meet their commitments. 3. Selection and registration of students coming to Brussels The participating schools (in the majority of cases these will be the first schools selected) should choose three students to take part in the workshops in Brussels from 23 to 25 April 2015. The students chosen must be in their pre-final year of secondary education (aged 16 years) and be able to express themselves in English. 3.1 Selection criteria The schools themselves will select students to represent them. They may set their own selection criteria, provided these are clear, fair and non-discriminatory. For reasons of gender equality, the students selected should preferably include at least one boy and one girl. 3.2 Participation of disabled students Schools must ensure that disabled students are also able to take part in the workshops. If special arrangements are required, the schools must inform the EESC organisers in good time. 3.3 Registration of students The schools taking part (in the majority of cases these will be the first schools selected) must register the three students selected in early February 2015. Before registering the students, the schools must obtain written agreement from their parent(s) or legal guardian(s). 3.4 Protection of personal data The EESC guarantees the protection of all personal data received in accordance with prevailing legislation.
5 4. Preparation for the workshops in the schools A member of the Committee will visit the selected schools indicatively between mid-february to mid- March. The member will provide information about the EESC and how it works. The EESC will pay the member's travel and accommodation expenses. Early in March 2015 the schools taking part (in the majority of cases these will be the first schools selected) will receive a working document (English and French). They will also be able to download the working document from the EESC's internet site in English or French. The students will be asked to read and discuss the text of the working document. Further instructions will be provided in due course. THE WORKSHOPS IN BRUSSELS 1. Authorisation form The schools taking part (in the majority of cases these will be the first schools selected) will be required to provide an authorisation form for each student. The form can be downloaded in the abovementioned languages 1 and printed from the EESC's website from mid-march. This form must be signed by the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) of the student and by the head of the school. It must then be sent to the EESC in Brussels by post, fax or email, accompanied by a copy of a valid identity document for each student, to the following address or fax number: European Economic and Social Committee VMA2 5/07 rue Belliard/Belliardstraat 99 1040 Bruxelles/Brussel (Belgique/België) Fax: +32 2 546 9926 email: youreurope@eesc.europa.eu In this form, the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) of the student and the head of the school attest that: the student has permission to go to Brussels for the workshops; the student's name may be published in EESC publications, on the EESC website and related social networks with photos and/or video recordings of the session; 1 EU official languages are: Bulgarian, Czech, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, Gaelic, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish.
6 the student will be supervised by the accompanying teacher while travelling and during their stay in Brussels. The student may not take part in the trip unless the authorisation form and a copy of the identity document are received by the stated deadline. 2. Responsibility The accompanying teachers will bear full responsibility for the students and themselves during the journey and stay in Brussels. The students and teacher accompanying them must take the necessary travel documents (i.e. valid passport or identity card). They must also have a European health insurance card (available free from local insurance organisations and/or sickness funds) or a provisional replacement certificate if the card cannot be issued in time. The EESC will organise and pay the costs of the journey and accommodation of students and accompanying teacher of each Member State in accordance with the conditions set out below. 3. Arrangements for the workshops The workshops will take place on Friday 24 April 2015. Students will arrive in Brussels on Thursday 23 April 2015, and will meet the other participants that evening. They will return home on Saturday 25 April 2015. The schools taking part will be informed in advance of the exact arrangements for the workshops. 4. Working languages During the working sessions, discussions will be held in English. To ensure that the workshops go smoothly, the accompanying teacher and students must be able to express themselves in this language.
7 5. Expenses The EESC will pay following expenses of the students and their teacher: accommodation expenses in Brussels (2 nights, included breakfast); the travel expenses for the international airplane/train connection from their home country to Brussels (including connecting flights/long distance connecting trains if needed). Travel will be by air or train, depending on the participants' country of origin. The schools taking part will be informed of the exact arrangements; transport between Brussels airport/railway station and the hotel; dinner on Thursday 23 April 2015, lunch and dinner on Friday 24 April 2015. N.B.: The EESC will not pay/reimburse domestic transport in the home country. This means that the costs of travel to/from the departure station or airport in the home country will not be reimbursed. Participants should make sure they arrive at the station/airport well in advance of their scheduled departure time. If they miss their train/flight for any reason other than force majeure, the EESC will not grant any refund and/or compensation and will not cover the costs of purchasing new tickets, rerouting existent tickets, paying for accommodation or subsistence costs. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION More information is available on the EESC internet site. You can also send questions to the EESC's organisers by email at: youreurope@eesc.europa.eu.